Beth El Temple of West Hartford

Welcome To Beth El Temple!

Learning

We enjoy and encourage all levels of learning, from our youngest members to our lifelong learners. Discover ways to grow in your faith with us.

Mitzvot

We are cooking, planting, knitting and donating our way to a better world. See how you can join us in making an impact today.

Services

Discover our wide range of worship options, from traditional sanctuary services to Shabbat yoga and outdoor celebrations.

Community

Our inclusive family welcomes you to join us as we come together for celebrations and comfort.

EXPLORE OUR COMMUNITY

What’s Happening at Beth El Temple

Thursday, Jan 30th 9:30a to 12:30pInterested in making challah to share with our Beth El community? Rabbi Garber is looking for volunteers to join in her challah baking workshop. Participants will get one challah to take home and will make the rest for our members. Volunteers will be asked to deliver challah as well. Free and open to all – but please register to save your spot. Space is limited and we will cancel if we do not have volunteers.

Third Grade Siddur Presentation

Sunday, Feb 2nd 10:00a to 11:30aAll are invited to join us as each third grade child will be presented with a siddur (prayerbook) at this meaningful ceremony. Back in November 2019, our learners created beautiful, personalized covers for their siddurim. Today, they will receive those siddurim in a special Beth El and family tradition. It truly is a milestone in our children’s Jewish journey. And enhancing what we use ritually, the mitzvah of hiddur mitzvah, beautifying our observance, is one that we hope to instill in our children as they embrace the joy of Judaism.

Rabbi Elana Zaiman Scholar-in-Residence Weekend

Friday, Feb 7th (All day)Friday, February 7 6pm Kabbalat Shabbat with Special Guest Rabbi Elana Zaiman 7pm Oneg Shabbat Saturday, February 8 9:30am Shabbat Morning Services with Special Guest Rabbi Elana Zaiman Rabbi Zaiman will be our guide on a storytelling journey into forever letters—what they are, why write them, and how they can be powerful tools to authentically connect us with ourselves and with the people we love. Sunday, February 9 10am-1pm Forever Letter Writing Workshop You don’t have to be a writer. You don’t have to love to write. You don’t even have to know to whom you will write. The only requirement: show up and be yourself! In this workshop, we will look at excerpts of letters from medieval and modern times as templates for the forever letters we will begin to write. We will talk about tone, content, and how to write to be heard. We will write to prompts to reflect on ourselves, the people we love, and our shared relationships. Write to your children, parents, grandchildren, grandparents, siblings, spouse, partner, friends. Feel free to bring a special notebook and pen or your laptop.

Scholar-in-Residence Weekend: Forever Letter Writing Workshop

Sunday, Feb 9th 10:00a to 1:00pYou don’t have to be a writer. You don’t have to love to write. You don’t even have to know to whom you will write. The only requirement: show up and be yourself! In this workshop, we will look at excerpts of letters from medieval and modern times as templates for the forever letters we will begin to write. We will talk about tone, content, and how to write to be heard. We will write to prompts to reflect on ourselves, the people we love, and our shared relationships. Write to your children, parents, grandchildren, grandparents, siblings, spouse, partner, friends. Feel free to bring a special notebook and pen or your laptop.

BEMA Presents: Liturgical Chat & Listen with Cantor Joseph Ness

Sunday, Feb 16th 1:00p to 2:00pThis program will study the introduction of art music into European synagogues, and explore mystical atonement rituals of Jews during the Baroque era. This Lecture Series is part of the 2019-2020 BEMA Concert Series.

Family Service & Lunch

Shabbat, Feb 22nd 11:00a to 1:00p We come together as a "family" for a combined service, bringing the best from Mazel Tots, Shabbat Club, and Beth El’s Community You Can Believe In. Our family service concludes with a special lunch and games, aimed at building our Shabbat family community. RSVPs appreciated by Thursday noon.

Topics in Tefilah: An In-Depth Exploration of Prayer

Shabbat, Mar 14th 11:00a to 12:00pExplore elements of our Shabbat services with our rabbis. This is a class, not an actual service.

Family Service & Lunch

Shabbat, Mar 28th 11:00a to 1:00p We come together as a "family" for a combined service, bringing the best from Mazel Tots, Shabbat Club, and Beth El’s Community You Can Believe In. Our family service concludes with a special lunch and games, aimed at building our Shabbat family community. RSVPs appreciated by Thursday noon.

Family Service & Lunch

Shabbat, Apr 25th 11:00a to 1:00p We come together as a "family" for a combined service, bringing the best from Mazel Tots, Shabbat Club, and Beth El’s Community You Can Believe In. Our family service concludes with a special lunch and games, aimed at building our Shabbat family community. RSVPs appreciated by Thursday noon.

Family Service & Lunch

Shabbat, May 30th 11:00a to 1:00p We come together as a "family" for a combined service, bringing the best from Mazel Tots, Shabbat Club, and Beth El’s Community You Can Believe In. Our family service concludes with a special lunch and games, aimed at building our Shabbat family community. RSVPs appreciated by Thursday noon.

Third Grade Siddur Presentation

Sunday, Feb 2nd 10:00a to 11:30aAll are invited to join us as each third grade child will be presented with a siddur (prayerbook) at this meaningful ceremony. Back in November 2019, our learners created beautiful, personalized covers for their siddurim. Today, they will receive those siddurim in a special Beth El and family tradition. It truly is a milestone in our children’s Jewish journey. And enhancing what we use ritually, the mitzvah of hiddur mitzvah, beautifying our observance, is one that we hope to instill in our children as they embrace the joy of Judaism.

Shababa

Friday, Feb 21st 5:45p to 7:00pShababa is a fun, engaging “service” for our youngest generation. All children ~8 and under (and their siblings, parents, and grandparents) are welcome to experience the joy of Shabbat with dancing, singing, stories, prayers and a free chicken nugget dinner. Join Rabbi Ilana Garber in this free monthly program – part of our early childhood education. RSVPs are not required, but are encouraged to enable us to better plan for dinner. Sponsorship opportunities are available – for just $50 you can celebrate a child’s birthday by sponsoring that month’s Shababa. To sponsor a dinner, please contact Rabbi Ilana Garber (igarber@bethelwh.org or 860-233-9696).

Family Service & Lunch

Shabbat, Feb 22nd 11:00a to 1:00p We come together as a "family" for a combined service, bringing the best from Mazel Tots, Shabbat Club, and Beth El’s Community You Can Believe In. Our family service concludes with a special lunch and games, aimed at building our Shabbat family community. RSVPs appreciated by Thursday noon.

Shababa

Friday, Mar 20th 5:45p to 7:00pShababa is a fun, engaging “service” for our youngest generation. All children ~8 and under (and their siblings, parents, and grandparents) are welcome to experience the joy of Shabbat with dancing, singing, stories, prayers and a free chicken nugget dinner. Join Rabbi Ilana Garber in this free monthly program – part of our early childhood education. RSVPs are not required, but are encouraged to enable us to better plan for dinner. Sponsorship opportunities are available – for just $50 you can celebrate a child’s birthday by sponsoring that month’s Shababa. To sponsor a dinner, please contact Rabbi Ilana Garber (igarber@bethelwh.org or 860-233-9696).

Family Service & Lunch

Shabbat, Mar 28th 11:00a to 1:00p We come together as a "family" for a combined service, bringing the best from Mazel Tots, Shabbat Club, and Beth El’s Community You Can Believe In. Our family service concludes with a special lunch and games, aimed at building our Shabbat family community. RSVPs appreciated by Thursday noon.

Family Service & Lunch

Shabbat, Apr 25th 11:00a to 1:00p We come together as a "family" for a combined service, bringing the best from Mazel Tots, Shabbat Club, and Beth El’s Community You Can Believe In. Our family service concludes with a special lunch and games, aimed at building our Shabbat family community. RSVPs appreciated by Thursday noon.

Family Service & Lunch

Shabbat, May 30th 11:00a to 1:00p We come together as a "family" for a combined service, bringing the best from Mazel Tots, Shabbat Club, and Beth El’s Community You Can Believe In. Our family service concludes with a special lunch and games, aimed at building our Shabbat family community. RSVPs appreciated by Thursday noon.

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